Schloss Schönborn

This is the oldest estate in Germany under continuous family ownership: 27 generations, spanning over 670 years. "No other estate in the Rheingau possesses such a bevy of fine vineyards as this highly traditional property in Hattenheim," writes Joel Payne. Indeed, their formidable holdings of 50 hectares in the Rheingau comprise choice parcels in 38 vineyards, which include virtually all of the top sites of the appellation. Most have been in the family's care since 1349; several fabulous sites, like the grand cru Erbacher Marcobrunn, were added in the 17th and 18th centuries. Ninety percent of the production is Riesling; yields are exceptionally low and the best wines are aged in monumental 100-year-old casks.